CALL-ATT
by Wolfepup
Summary: Sequal to Not Easy Being Fuzzy and the recently posted Chasing the Sun to Paradise!
1. It Takes Two to Tango and One to Tresspa...

"1-800-CALL-ATT" ****

"1-800-CALL-ATT"

Sequel to "Not Easy Being Fuzzy" and "Chasing the Sun to Paradise" in that order. ^_^

As we all know, NEBF was a Kurtty, but we are also getting tired of those things. CTSTP is not a Kurtty, merely a neat-o vacation to this lucky Pup's home. In that fic, we meet the twins Char and Menga, many thanx to the wonderful person of a similar name who gave me a good review. ^_^

Disclaimer: Yada yada, blah blah, yada.

****

"Chapter one: Takes two to Tango, and One to Trespass"

"Hallo!" Kurt ran up to his friends, arms held wide. Kitty sighed, leaning against the pillar, bored. The plane from Seattle had been delayed three hours, and she had missed the sale at the mall. Kurt was going to pay.

He pulled away from his hug, turning to introduce his new friends. "Keety, I vould like you to meet Char and Menga."

Her breath stopped short as Char took her hand, his lips brushing her knuckles. "Pleased to meet you, m'lady." He turned to look at his sister, ice-blue eyes twinkling. "I've always wanted to say that."

Kurt laughed, patting him on his back. "Ja, and keep saying it." He walked over to Kitty, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Zis one has been soooo sad since we decided we were better as friends."

Char winced. "Sorry to hear that, man."

Kurt shrugged one holographic-clad shoulder. "Ja, but she got over it."

Kitty pushed him away, scowling. Kurt hopped away, laughing all the while. She snorted, turning to look the twins over. Char was taller, and handsome, in a sculpted kind of way. His long silver hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck, his skin pale. His eyes shone with laughter.

His sister, Menga, wore her equally silver hair loose about her shoulders. She was slender, her blue eyes scanning the people as they walked by. Her eyes rested on Kitty, and the girl stepped back. Menga smiled, "Sorry to have frightened you."

Kitty smiled back, uncertain. Kurt pushed her towards Char. "Time to go," he quipped, "Ze Professor vants to meet mein new fruends!"

____________________

"Welcome to Xavier's Institute for the Gifted." Ororo, ever the proper hostess, stepped aside and watched Char, Menga, Kitty, and Kurt enter. Kitty's eyes were glued to Char's back, the girl blushing as she noticed Ororo's smile. The tall woman leaned down and whispered to her, "Not too bad of a choice."

Char waited for everyone to assemble in the main room, before letting Kurt introduce them with a flourish. "Everybody, zis is Char and his sister, Menga!"

Scott walked up to them, smiling smugly. "What can you do?"

"Scott!" Jean hissed, planting her hands on her hips.

Char waved her off, "No problem." His wide grin was infectious. "I can control water, Menga can control air."

"Shway!" Evan said, standing to his feet and showing off a spike of three.

Char and Menga looked at each other. "Shway?" she asked.

"Somezing he heard on TV," Kurt explained with a shrug.

Xavier rolled closer, "I have heard of you two, but we never had the pleasure. I am Professor Xavier, and these are my students. Scott you have just met. Evan is the one with the…colorful vocabulary. Jean and Rogue are behind Scott. Logan and Ororo are not my students, they are mentors."

Char smiled broadly, "Shway."

Logan rolled his eyes, waving a hand at Kurt. "Elf, why dun you bring in their bags?"

"Ja!" He vanished in a puff of acrid smoke. 

A soft, warm breeze blew the smoke away. Logan looked up as Menga lowered one graceful pale hand. He quipped, "Might not be too bad with them around, after all."

+++++++++++++++++++++

Dinner was the usual eventful affair. Kitty was seated between Kurt and Char, with Menga on Char's other side. Kurt, of course, had a heaping plateful already plopped in front of him. Kurt almost accidentally pushed Kitty into Char.

Kitty looked up into clear blue eyes, blushing fiercely and forgetting to be mad at Kurt. She regained her composure, and smacked him upside the back of his head. Kurt snickered at her, shoveling a large bite into his mouth.

Scott scowled at him, "Why do you eat so much."

Kurt shrugged, not talking around a mouthful of food.

Char spoke, and Kitty was riveted by the smooth tones of his voice. "Look at what he does. The energy to teleport has to come from somewhere."

Shocked silence met his casual answer. The Professor broke the silence with a chuckle. "It is true what they say then, 'The best place to hide something is right under your own nose'."

"Like, what did you say?" Kitty was confused.

Ororo continued, "The answer was so obvious, we never saw it."

Kurt smiled broadly, pleased to be the center of attention.

Logan saw his chance, and began to brief the group on the next training exercise. Groans and rolled eyes came from every youth at the table. Menga placed her head in her hand, complaining, "I thought this was supposed to be a vacation."

"It is, kid. I'll go easy on you."

She looked up at Logan, eyes wide. She narrowed her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him.

"So," Jean spoke, prodding the conversation into life, "since I doubt Mr. Logan is going to have us train tonight, do you guys want to watch a movie."

"Sure!" Char and Menga said in unison. Kitty smiled, and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I got—" Kitty cut Even off with a stern glare.

"We are so not watching another one of your stupid horror flicks."

"I have an idea." All eyes turned to Char. "_Dragonheart."_

Scott snorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Why that one?"

Char counted the virtues off his fingers, "It has humor, action, some romance, and a really…shway dragon."

Jean clapped her hands in glee. "Well, I guess it's _Dragonheart_, then!"

Even rolled his eyes, glaring at Char. The pale youth shrugged, "And you would have her chose _Titanic_?"

He grunted, "You got a point."

Kitty pouted, "I happen to like that movie."

Char teased, "I won't hold it against you, then."

She looked at him, freezing in mid-pout as her eyes met his. Light blue stared into ice blue, and the world stopped. She could hear her heart beating, her face growing warm. She could see every line on his face, every strand of silver hair. Even his perfect eyebrows were silver; too metallic to be called gray. After a few seconds, Kurt cleared his throat. They both blushed, looking away.

"Alrighty then, let's get this cleaned up and watch the movie!" Evan snapped up dirty dishes, neatly piling them so Jean could float them to the kitchen.

****

AN: To understand anything else, you must first read Not Easy Being Fuzzy

Jedi Knight Ce'it Ki Oshanna sat back in his chair, reading a book. Most people would look at the book as juvenile, and far below the reading ability of a 30 year old male.

But Ce'it wasn't thirty. Due to his dual nature, half Valterin, half Mersakii, and completely alien, he appeared older than he really was. He scowled, but not by much. His thick tail, a gift from his Mersakii mother, tapped the floor in a rhythm all its own. He might be a Jedi, trained by the one and only Master Tari (AN, Click on me name, you'll find stories on _HIM_. "ICE" is my fave) but he couldn't read English.

To him, the, he looked at the spine, young reader science fiction, was amusing practice. Over the past few months of his very long-term mission, he had become a teacher at Bayville High, and befriended the X-Men. Kurt and Evan were visiting, each attempting to beat the other's video game character. Both refused to play against Ce'it, who was able to use the Force to sense what his opponent was doing.

"So," he searched for the proper English words, practicing the language when he wasn't using his translator. "Friends like it here?"

Kurt looked up at him, understanding. He was taught English at a young age, but the complex language confused him from time to time as well. "Ja, Char and Keety like each other."

Evan suppressed a shudder.

Kurt elbowed him, "And Menga has eyes for you, mein fruend."

The dark youth stuck his tongue out at Kurt. Ce'it smiled. "Happy to see they like it here."

"Hey, teach. You're getting better." Evan saluted him with the game controller.

"Practice," Ce'it sighed. He would never be able to speak in front of people without the translator, his accent was very thick and simply too alien. It would stand out in too many people's mind on an accent that simply would not be placed. Kurt had likened it to a drunk German trying to speak French words in Spanish. Evan said he sounded like a Klingon whispering love sonnets. Ce'it had watched Star Trek, and it escaped him on how a Klingon could whisper anything.

He sighed, standing up and walking over to the phone. He waited for it to ring twice before he picked it up. "Man," Evan quipped, "That really freaks me out when you do that."

Ce'it placed a small translator next to the receiver, the small black box barely bigger than the phone's speaker. "Hello?"

Evan looked up at him, waiting for Kurt to make his next move on the game. Ce'it lowered the translator, speaking rapidly in his fluid native tongue. His brows furrowed.

Ce'it gently lowered the phone its base, cursing something fast and vicious. Kurt and Evan both looked up at him in shock. "Vat is it?"

The Jedi picked up his watch, clasping it around his wrist. He thumbed it, a hologram flickering into view that hid his dark blue hair and pointed ears. As he wrapped his tail around his waist, he spoke. "One of your friends is in trouble."

Kurt and Evan sprung to their feet, Evan making a few spikes grow from his arms. "Where?"

"On Traddess property."

Xavier rolled into the medical ward, casting his eyes on the assembled teens. And one alien. Char stood by the bed, Menga laying on it, unconscious. Jean busied herself by arranging a cupboard. Scott was with the others in the main room.

Xavier looked up at the alien, the man's piercing amethyst eyes boring into Menga. His translator was around his neck, a thin band of black. He was short, and otherwise looked quite Human. The Professor couldn't help but think that this made him all the more alien. Donnye was a Shapechanger, and the current being in charge of Traddess. His companion, the striking cat-like K'Payr Manora had returned to her home system to tale care of some business.

It had been Donnye that found Menga, knocked unconscious by the Traddess security fields. He was here to find out why she had violated the no trespassing signs.

"Is he coming?" Xavier spoke softly.

Donnye nodded, his translated voice not as well covered as Ce'it's, his odd accent filtering through. "_Hai_, and Kurt and Evan are with him." Occasionally, the translator would pick a word from a language other that English. _Hai_ was Japanese for yes, with respectful connotations. 

Kurt did not wait for the others, and teleported in as soon as he was close enough. He ran over to the bed, looking up at Char and Donnye. "Vat happened?"

"She was where she was not supposed to be." Donnye spoke without anger or accusation.

Kurt held her slim, pale hand in his. "Vake up, mein fruend."

Evan ran into the room next, Ce'it a few steps behind.

Xavier placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kurt. But I can't reach her mind."

Donnye looked up at Ce'it, motioning towards the girl. "Care to do the honors?"

Kurt backed away, and Char looked from Kurt, to Donnye, then to Ce'it in shock. "You-you're mutants?"

Donnye smiled. "Nope."

Ce'it walked next to Menga, placing a hand on each of her temples. "Donnye will explain it to you." He closed his eyes.

The Force on this world was different. It stood poised on the edge of a cliff, looking down the genetic precipice. Far below was a sea of roiling opportunity, evolution out of control. This was not the first time this world had stood on such a cliff. Many millions of years ago, mass extinctions had prompted evolution to repair the gaps. Only now the extinctions were man-made.

He reached for the Force. It filled him with strength, with light. He could feel his own heartbeat, and then he could sense it just before it happened. It was time.

Ce'it focused on the girl, reaching into her mind. _Menga_, her name was Menga. Her thoughts were confused, jumbled.

_Wake up, Menga. The others are waiting._

_Who are you?_ Her thoughts flitted through his mind, teasing his consciousness like a cool summer breeze.

_Ce'it, a friend of Kurt's._

_What happened?_

_That's what we want to ask, but first you need to wake up_.

Her thoughts were confused, a jumbled of shifting winds and colors. _I am asleep?_

_Not quite. I can help you, but only if you try._

_I am scared._

Ce'it reached more, easing a feeling of calm into her. _I am here. But you need to try._

The winds picked up, pushing at him. He grabbed at them, pulling them to the light. He could hear Xavier's gasp as he was able to register her mind. At that point, Ce'it pulled back, looking down into her ice blue eyes. "Good morning," he smiled.

Char looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Who are you people?"

Char paced in the main room, Menga resting in the recliner. He waved his hands around as he spoke. "So, you are like, aliens, sent here to look after some space lane that's not even in this galaxy!"

"Sounds about right," Donnye propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"And you," he turned to look at Ce'it, "You are a teacher at the high school?"

"Had to learn about the locals somehow."

"But a high school?"

Ce'it shrugged. "What other job could I work where I get three months of the year off, and meet people like the X-Men?"

Char closed his mouth. He spoke again, softly, "But why here?"

Donnye answered, "It is best to hide right in plain sight. Besides, genetics is my life, it's what I am, I shapeshift genetically. And I must admit, coming from a species that cannot mutate, it's an amazing process to watch."

"So you study us?" Char hissed.

Donnye shrugged, "Passively. Like you read a book or look at a painting. To tear apart the book would be to destroy. I am here to run Traddess, not pick apart mutants."

Char seemed to accept his answer, barely. Ce'it looked at Menga, speaking softly. "Why were you on Traddess property? And you can't tell me you didn't see the signs, I helped install them."

Her mouth snapped shut in mid-protest. She looked down at her hands, withering under the classic Jedi gaze. Logan looked at Ce'it, grunting. It was rare that he was able to elicit such a response with just a glance.

"I was exploring, and I wanted to go look."

Anger rolled off of Char, he turned on her, growling, "I told you we can't do that!"

"I know," was her soft reply.

Ce'it held up a hand. "Enough."

Xavier looked at Donnye from over his folded hands. The small alien, standing just a shade taller than Kitty, sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. His ageless amethyst eyes peered into nothing. For a few seconds he sat this way, and Xavier could sense the anxiety filling Menga's mind. Just before she panicked, Donnye smiled.

"Curiosity is not a crime," he straitened, placing his hands on his knees. "But trespassing is. Your punishment is to clean Skimmer's hull." Ce'it smiled. This was more of a gift than a 

punishment.

"What's Skimmer?"

Donnye smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Not what, _who_. She is as sentient as you or I. She just happens to look like a space ship."

"And I get to clean your…space ship?"

Donnye nodded. "No, you get to clean my partner." At her confused look, he continued. "The closest thing this world has to what Skimmer and I have are like Police partners."

Her mouth formed into a silent O.

"Does that mean she gets the tour?" Kurt spoke up, excited.

"Same one you got, except she'll be there longer."

"How much?" Char growled.

"Until Skimmer is clean to her satisfaction."

Menga brightened, "My satisfaction?"

"Sorry, _Skimmer's_ satisfaction."

Her face fell.

****

Well….that's the end of Chapter one. Remember that thing Yoda sensed, that thing that made him decide to send Ce'it in the first place? Might be happening here in the next couple of chapters! When I gets around to writing them, that is. ^_^;


	2. A Little to the Left

"1-800-CALL-ATT" ****

"1-800-CALL-ATT"

Okieday, all the usual _drek_, disclaimers and whatnot. Many thanx to all you wonderful peoples who reviewed my stuph! And many thanx to Charmega, who for some reason that is completely Beyond me, the name stuck in me poor head like super glue. Hope ya like the twins. Hope I dinna make ya mad when I used yer name.

****

"Chapter Two: A Little to the Left"

Menga pulled back, looking at her reflection in Skimmer's hull. The glossy black metal was run through with streaks of dark gray, occasionally with a flash of light traveling down its length. It gave the sleek birdlike ship a sparkling sense of motion.

Donnye had taken her and her brother on a tour of Traddess, from the cavernous landing bay to the maze of corridors. She had met doglike Mintakken Itex, and the very tall catlike Plainsrunner Itex.

Menga knew that life existed on other planets; it didn't make sense to think otherwise. She just never thought that they would set up a huge secret base on Earth. She passed her hands over Skimmer's hull, wiping away more of the special cleaner. Foggy gray gave way to glossy black.

Her mind drifted. She smiled, it was obvious that Kitty liked Char, but Menga could not see what her brother saw in the girl. She was shallow. But, she had to admit, she was loyal. She had yet to see her cast her eyes at anyone, though Rogue had told her that Kitty had a fling with Kurt.

Menga snorted, she didn't blame the blue elf for just wanting to be friends, even though he said it was mutual. They did share a special friendship, a special kind of closeness. Menga envied that above all. To have a friend who expected nothing but trust. Oh, what she would give for such a rare creature.

"A little to the left," Skimmer's disembodied voice echoed through the service bay. Menga looked up at her, the ship easily three stories tall and just as wide from wingtip to wingtip. Fortunately, the cleaner sprayed on and was easy to wipe off. Now, if there was only a little less ship.

"I will never get used to that," she muttered, wiping off the last of the cleaner.

Donnye cleared his throat, leaning against the doorframe which was shaded yellow. He spoke, unnerving her even more with his unplaceable accent. "Skimmer contacted me a little while ago, when you were almost done."

Menga placed her hands on her hips, scowling at her reflection. "Am I done?"

Skimmer's voice was full of humor. "Yes, and in record time."

"Good," Menga picked up the assorted rags and brushes, dropping them into a bin marked with angular writing. Donnye nodded his approval.

He waved her ahead of him, smiling, "Then I guess I'll be taking you home, then?"

"I hope so, I'd hate to walk."

"How'd it go?" Char reclined on the couch, Kitty at his side and a bowl of popcorn in his lap.

Menga sighed, plopping heavily into a chair. "I never thought that little ship would be so _big_."

Kitty giggled behind a hand. Menga rolled her eyes, prying herself from the chair. "I will be in my room, oozing on the floor if you need me."

Kurt walked into the room, his eyes following Menga as she drug herself from the room. He shrugged, snagging a handful of popcorn. "Vat are you vatching?" He plopped down on Char's other side, within easy reach of the bowl.

Chat motioned to the screen. "_Titanic_."

"Oh," Kurt stood up, snatching another handful. "See ya later!" With a bamf and a whiff of brimstone, he was gone.

It was a good morning to exercise. Ce'it jogged along the side of the road, clad in a hooded gray sweatshirt and matching pants. It still felt odd, jogging along while not using his tail as a counterbalance. Unlike Kurt's tail, which was thin and extremely flexible, Ce'it's was thick and catlike. It took training to be able to walk normally without its counterbalance.

He approached an intersection, moving his legs in place to keep the rhythm of his jogging. Something was wrong. He stopped moving, looking around him. The people walked by, the cars drove through the green light. Birds twittered in the trees.

And then the world stood still. Engines died, cars swerved out of control. His holographic projector stopped working, and he quickly pulled the hood over his pointed ears and blue hair. He had to get to Xavier's mansion.

A car screamed down the hill, and Ce'it's Jedi reflexes saved his life, barely. His thigh glanced off the hood, flipping him over to impact with the corner of the roof and windshield with his side. He rolled over the car, landing in a dazed pile on the road behind it. Three people ran over to him, but the last thing he needed was to go to a hospital and a doctor finding out that he is far from Human.

He waved his hand at the people, the Force behind his words. "I am fine." He stood, bracing himself on a lightpost. He waved at the driver of the car, limping off towards the mansion.

Kitty pouted at the TV flickered and shut off. "What happened?"

Char shrugged, "Power outage probably."

"Then why have the generators, like, not started working. They're, like, supposed to turn on when the power's out."

Char looked around, the mansion was silent save for their breathing. Usually, this would not bother him, but something was very wrong. Kurt bamfed into the room, pouting. "And I just beat ze bad guy, and the power turns off."

Kitty stood, wrapping her arms around herself. "Yeah, it's like, weird. No generator or anything."

_Everybody to the main room._ Xavier's voice echoed through their heads.

"Already here," Kurt quipped, grabbing the bowl of popcorn and digging in.

Scott and Jean trotted into the room, followed by Jean and Rogue. Evan stumbled in, a very tired Menga staggering after him.

Ororo waited just behind and to the left of Xavier's wheelchair. Logan stalked in, scowling, dressed in his uniform. The sharp scent of sweat clung to him. "What happened, Charles?" he growled. "I was just getting to the good part."

"All power generating systems have shut down. Kurt, is your watch functional?"

Kurt thumbed his watch. His eyes widened when nothing happened. 

"This is like, not good," Kitty whispered, wrapping her arms around herself tighter. Char placed his hands on her shoulders.

Xavier looked over his students. "We need to investigate this. Everyone, return here in uniform," he glanced at Char and Menga, "Except you two. You stay here and wait for the others to return."

Ce'it leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. Low in his abdomen, where a Human's intestines would be, was his species equivalent of a liver. It ached with every beat of his heart. He called on the Force, trying to ease the pain.

The mansion was only a short hike away, through some trees, over a road, and up a hill. He placed his left leg forward, only to stifle a yell as it refused to support his weight. He groaned, wrapping his hands around his thigh. Somehow, the bone wasn't broken, but it hurt enough to be. Ce'it pushed the pain as far from his mind as he could, pulling himself to his feet.

He had to get to the mansion. Ce'it could sense the danger on the horizon, a tugging from the Force.

K'Tayr was coming.

Char wrapped Kitty in his arms, as if protecting her from some unseen danger. Evan rolled his eyes at the display, but otherwise remained silent.

"So, wha do we do now?" Rogue was impatient, her mood reflecting off of Logan. The dour man scowled at the floor, growling softly.

"We start with Traddess. Perhaps they have some answers for us." Xavier steepled his hands, touching his chin with his forefingers. "Kurt," he turned to face the teen, "Teleport as fast as you can to Traddess and try to find Donnye. Something tells me that task won't be too difficult." Kurt nodded.

"And what if they don't know?" Logan growled.

"We prepare for the worse. Team, it is time to suit up."

Ce'it limped past the dormant security system, wincing as his leg refused to support his weight. A still laser mount provided a place to lean as he fought against waves of pain. Something warm and sticky oozed from his side, a small concern to the Jedi.

He was now close enough to the Professor to get his attention. While the Force was not limited by distance, Xavier's mutant powers were. Add to the equation the difference between the Professor's powers and the Force. He gripped the laser mount harder, concentrating on the Force.

"What is it, Professor?" Jean sat up straight, her green and black uniform contrasting with her vivid red hair.

"A call, a faint whisper." He placed the fingers of his hands on his temples. "Someone nearby, in pain."

"Anyone we know?" Logan looked up from his scowling at the floor. The Professor had asked him to stay in the mansion until Kurt arrived with Donnye.

Xavier shook his head. "I am uncertain. I can't understand what the voice is saying."

Evan perked up, speaking something fluid in Ce'it's native tongue. "Is that it?"

Xavier looked up, surprised. "Why yes, it is. Where did you learn that?"

"Kurt and I visit Ce'it enough to learn some of his language." Evan beamed with pride.

"Then what did you say?" Ororo crossed her arms, an amused smile on her face.

Evan's face fell.

"You have no idea," Jean teased, grinning broadly.

A wind picked up from outside, slapping tree branches against a window. All eyes where on Ororo. "It is not natural," she whispered.

A gust of wind snaked into the room as Logan slammed the door behind him.

Ce'it sagged against the laser mount, the rising wind blowing through his hair. The Force faltered in him, twisting in ways it was never meant to.

_An Imbalance_. He gasped as a strong gust threw him to the ground. He lay still, the Force not rising to ease the pain. His heart thudded against his chest in its triple-rhythmed beat.

A voice flitted on the winds, carried by energy unleashed by the Imbalance. "Elf….are you….Elf…"

_Elf?_ An odd corner of his mind wondered. Wasn't that what Logan called Kurt? Ce'it hoped the youth hadn't tried to teleport, there was no telling where he would end up.

Hadn't Logan called _him_ Elf a time or two as well?

"Elf…."

Ce'it tried to call out, but his chest hurt too much to let even a small gasp escape. There was no way he would be heard over the rising howl of the storm. Fat drops of rain added themselves to his misery, splatting into his battered body. At least they were washing away some of the blood.

Logan hadn't ever called him Elf, a corner of his mind argued. Kurt had to be in trouble. Ce'it rolled up slowly on one elbow, peering through the rain. Visibility was lessening as the rain came down harder and faster. Lighting flashed, illuminating the scene for a second. Thunder roared, deafening him.

The wind wrapped itself around him, snatching away his faint voice. "I'm here…"

"I'm here…" The voice was a slight whisper, dancing on the violent winds. Logan perked his head up, testing the air. The scent of blood and pain greeting him. Logan smiled grimly, chasing down the teasing scent.

The laser mount, on of the ones closest to the gate, stood silent vigil over the rain-battered road. Logan stalked closer, the scent of pain and blood stronger. He was close. "Elf!" he yelled out, "Where are you!"

The form shifted slightly, then lay still.

Logan dashed from the trees, crouching next to the very battered and still form of Ce'it. "Elf, wake up, can you hear me?"

Dark blue eyes cracked open. Ce'it gasped, "Is Kurt okay?"

"He's 'ported to Traddess to find Donnye."

"Oh no," Ce'it grimaced. "There's an Imbalance." He gasped his words out slowly. Logan lowered his head closer to Ce'it's face to better hear him over the howling winds. "He could be anywhere."

Logan scowled, "Can you walk?" Ce'it looked up at him blankly. "Oh, no you don't!" Logan lightly slapped his cheeks in an attempt to keep him awake. "Stay with me, bub!"

Ce'it moaned softly. "S-sorry…"

Logan cursed something vile as Ce'it succumbed to his wounds as passed out.

Kurt was amazed. Never before had a teleport gone so horribly completely _wrong._

The teleport itself was odd. Usually it was so fast that he hardly felt it happening, but this time he felt it. This time he was aware of the twisting of energies, the pull of the power that was his abilities. He had felt what he had heard Donnye call _Qua'Xia._ The essence of power.

He wrapped his arms around himself, curling against the boll of a very large tree. Limbs dripping in moss reached down to him, embracing him in a cathedral of green.

Kurt had fought against _Qua'Xia_. He had fought to keep his very soul intact. He couldn't risk another teleport, and he couldn't risk gong to any of the locals for help, if there was any. And he ached. Every nerve and every cell in his blue-furred body, including the fur, ached.

He was lost, and very alone.

Logan kicked the door open, several pairs of startled eyes staring at him. Jean gasped, rising to her feet as he carried the too limp form of Ce'it into the mansion.

Jean rushed to her feet, a look of horror crossing her face. With a tightening of her jaws, she spun and headed out of the room. Logan followed her, several of the X-men trailing after. He explained as he walked, talking to Ororo. Scott and Kitty were immediately behind them, the latter with a slim hand held over her mouth. Char was with her, a pale hand on her shoulder.

"I found him like this, next to the number one laser turret." He couldn't help the note of worry that leaked into his voice. All of the X-men had specialized medical care, but at least they were Human. Ce'it had proven how ineffective Human medicine was when he discovered his allergy to aspirin. Logan wondered if by helping save his life, they would kill him.

"In here!" Jean called out. The room was not in the medical bay, it was a first aid station for the cleanup of minor wounds on the first floor. But, it had a window.

She had pushed the bed closer to the window, and then looked up at Kitty. "I want you to phase to the medical ward and bring up anything you can grab."

Kitty nodded, swallowing once and vanishing into the floor.

Logan lowered Ce'it onto the bed, careful not to disturb his already battered frame. Blood had soaked into the side of his jogging outfit, and a smaller spot decorated his left thigh. With a wave, Jean had a pair of scissors and began to remove his clothes. Logan helped her, his sharp claws making quick work of the stained garments.

Ce'it groaned softly, reaching a hand up to grab Jean's. "K'Tayr," he whispered hoarsely.

"I don't understand," the battered man had her full attention.

"K'Tayr," was followed by a short explanation in his native tongue. He sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he had found the word he was looking for. "Coming. He's coming."

Kurt looked up, a distant roaring filling his ears. _Ugh, now mein head is all messed up._

He stood on shaky legs, one hand on the tree for balance. His tail whipped out behind him, spading the air with its tip. He looked around, the emerald wonders of Nature all around him. He should've appeared halfway between the mansion and Traddess, in New York state.

Trees like this, covered in shaggy blankets of moss, do not grow in New York.

He decided to first discover just where he was. His only clues so far where the huge trees, layers of moss, and that roar.

That roar was familiar.

He swallowed in fear, hoping that it wasn't what he thought it was. Kurt stumbled forward, parting the dense undergrowth. The trees changed, their twisted forms leaning inland, reaching for the rest of the continent.

The ground sloped away, crumbling into a cliff.

Silver-gray sand stretched out on either side, sea stacks just visible in the distance. Azure water reached for the horizon.

The Pacific Ocean. Kurt had teleported all of the way across the country. And he had no idea how to get back.

"Who's K'Tayr?" Logan asked as he removed a strip of cloth, fully revealing the wound in the Jedi's side. Jean's face hardened when she saw the bruised expanse of his abdomen. The bleeding was sluggish, only a feeble attempt surging slightly with his heartbeat.

"Bad guy," Ce'it whispered. Logan wrapped his hand in his own, squeezing it. Ce'it squeezed back, his tight grip displaying his pain. The mutant barely registered Jean waving Char over, motioned that he was to use his powers to clean the wound. Logan demanded the Jedi's full attention.

"Did he do this?"

Ce'it nodded weakly, wincing as Char washed away the blood. Char's brow was furrowed deeply. "My power's harder to use," he gasped.

"_Qua'Xia_," Ce'it whispered softly before his grip on Logan's hand relaxed.

"_Qua'Xia_?" Logan placed the unconscious man's hand on the bed, backing out of the room. Kitty came running down the corridor, her arms full of various medical paraphernalia. She panted, pushing past Logan. The other X-men filtered into the hall, a couple members absent. She skidded to a stop just before entering the room. "Powers not working quite right."

Logan glanced at her back, the girl handing her store of supplies to Jean. The redhead did not even look up to offer her thanks, he attention was focused solely on Ce'it. 

_Qua'Xia_. Logan rolled the unfamiliar work around his mouth. The Professor rolled up to him, speaking softly. "How is he?"

"Not good," Logan turned to look fully at Xavier. "Did he ever tell you what _Qua'Xia_ meant?"

"Kurt told me. Ce'it and Donnye think that _Qua'Xia_ is what powers our abilities. Another facet of it is called the Force, the energies that Ce'it has access to. I believe it translates as 'essence of power'." 

Logan grunted. "He also said something about K'Tayr coming."

The Professor considered the word. "Sounds Itexian."

"I knew Traddess had something to do with this."

Xavier looked up at Logan. "Has Kurt returned yet?"

Logan's eyes narrowed. "If this _Qua'Xia_ thing is true, then the elf could be anywhere."

Kurt had climbed down to the beach, thankful that he at least had his natural agility intact. The last thing he want to do was to try to port again, and end up on Mars. He hiked up the beach, finding it easier to walk on the harder sand closer to the waves. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep the cold, misty wind from biting into him any deeper. The beach far ahead of him was covered in the fine white mist, shrouding the coast in mystery. He looked closer at one misty sea stack.

It was familiar.

A laugh exploded from him, and he ran towards the stack. People dotted the beach, some yelling as they saw the blue-furred demon rush by. Kurt angled towards the driftwood, hiding himself. What had Char and Menga called this beach again?

Kalaloch. He was on Kalaloch beach just a short hop from Highway 101. There was a gas station just south of the campground that sold huge cookies. And it had a payphone. Kurt just hoped it still worked.

Something was wrong. Ce'it couldn't quite place what it was, but the ache that filled him was fading away. The room was full of strange lights, the people around him rushing around.

_What are you doing?_ He asked, looking up at Jean.

She gasped, staring back at him before screaming. 

Ce'it looked around, confused. Their frantic motions stopped, and all eyes stared at him. He looked down at himself.

At his transparent blue hands.

At his still, blood covered body. Something was not right. The Force swirled around him, urgent and worried. The varied tastes of all the levels of _Qua'Xia_ floated to him.

He reached down, and hand barely brushing his corporeal chest. It rose slowly. He looked up, surprise. _I am still alive!_

Jean looked down at his body in shock. She steeled her jaw. Ce'it reached a hand out to her, a glowing orb of knowledge perched in his palm. _Use this, and quickly._

She nodded, touching it with her fingertips. Her eyes opened wide as Ce'it's medical information filled her mind. "I understand," she whispered. In a second, she commanded everyone's attention, and for once they did not mind being ordered around. Jean had a life to save.

Dead. The payphone, the cars on the side of the road, the gas pumps, everything was dead. Kurt slammed the phone back on the receiver. Here he was, trapped on the wrong coast, with no reliable way home but to walk. He snorted, oh, there was a good idea. Walk across the country, blue fuzzy and all.

He ignored the stares from the people around him, stalking over to the wooden railing overlooked a small canyon. The dark stream wound its way through the soft rock, angling towards the ocean at the last minute.

A small tug on his tail woke him from his dark thoughts.

Kurt turned, looking down at a small child. "What are you, mister?" the child's voice held no hint of fear or hatred. Only curiosity.

He smiled, trying not to show too much of his fangs. "Just a fuzzy blue elf."

The child smiled, giggling. "Samantha!" a voice scolded. "Get back here!" Fear, however, filled that voice quite well. Kurt sighed, pushing away from the railing and heading inland. He stopped at the highway, the people staying clear of him. At least none were trying to kill him, that was a good thing.

He looked up at the bulk of the Olympic Mountains. There was no way he would be able to cross those. With a sigh, he headed north, away from the cities farther south.

Ce'it hovered above his body, confused. Why would this have happened? Did the Imbalance interfere with his death, not that he wanted to die. But his body was stable now. Jean was able to barely stop the bleeding inside, and now he lay bandaged and still. _Qua'Xia_ shuddered, trying to right itself, and for the most part, succeeding. Ce'it wondered if Donnye was able to repair the damage. A quick look outside told a different story.

The storm, purple and blue lightening flashing against the dark sky. Show and rain falling with hail, winds that whipped the leaves off of trees. And then a calm stillness. The Imbalance was alive and well, but perhaps it had stabilized.

His body had been moved to a larger room, and the teens were laying out sleeping bags as night approached. Everyone decided it would be for the best to stay together. Ce'it considered his options. There was a reason he was like this, some sort of odd purpose to his unwilling ghost state.

He had to find Donnye.

Ce'it floated next to the Professor, speaking softly. _I am going to find Donnye. I will try to be back shortly._

Xavier nodded, his eyes scanning the X-men. They huddled in small groups, talking among themselves.

Ce'it floated through the walls, and out into the storm filled-twilight.

Donnye flopped down on a chair. This Imbalance was unnatural, an extension of the meddling of one man. This man had been exiled from Itexian space several centuries ago, when he should have been killed.

K'Tayr, whose very name meant the act of death.

He groaned softly. And then there was this electrical interference. The sparkplugs in cars stopped firing, even though the batteries were fully charged and the alternator in perfect working order. The Machine Intelligence had fled at the first sign of power drain. The last day had been hectic, fighting his way to the machine.

It was a crude, vile looking thing. A common energy converter modified to act as a huge battery. It then used that stored energy to warp the energy patterns around it. After a few years, the Imbalance was large enough to affect the Dimension. The strange storms was just the first step. If he hadn't found the machine and destroyed it, bits of random matter would have started to vanish as the Dimension attempted to right itself.

And then larger bits of matter, noticeable chunks of things and people, gone as if it had never existed. Limbonic Storms would rage Beyond, making the Gateway impassable.

Then the Dimension itself would disappear in a oddly anticlimactic end. Just a rush of energy and a lull in the Storms. The lull would not last long, and the newer, stronger Storms would vent their rage at anyone who dare cross their paths. Donnye had made that mistake once, and learned that it took roughly 175 years to grow a leg back.

That was not something he wanted to repeat.

What was left behind was Nothing. Not just any Nothing, but a void of Nothing, the very essence of Nothing. Faint wisps of power, ghosts of the Dimension, linger at the edge of a void, an area so empty of anything that even the energy-absorbent Machine Intelligence need to take extra power with them.

Beacons set along the way guide the ships to the other side, for without them they will be lost.

Donnye was glad that he was able to stop this Dimension from suffering that fate. 

But the scent was fresh, and the sensors installed on the Traddess complex had not registered any new departures aside from the Machine Intelligence. K'Tayr was still here, somewhere.

He furrowed his brows, scowling at air. Why here, what is it about this Dimension that would interest the rogue K'Tayr? There were thousands of relay stations exactly like this one. And on a few, the inhabitants were mutating, just like this one. It was an average distance from the space lanes. The surrounding Dimensions were stable, so destroying this one won't cause a chain reaction, destroying those as well.

But, it was on the border of Rylaxian and Itexian space. Only three stations has that privilege. One was this one, now defenseless at the sudden loss of anything electrical. The other two were safely encased in hardened asteroids. The recent battle proved that this Dimension was vulnerable, but they had defended it at the cost of hundreds of Rylaxian lives. After centuries of wars war, Rylax had lost far too many of its people. Any battle had a cost, and that last one had proved to be too costly. He doubted the Rylax would try to attack again, even with the station as exposed as it was.

It was something else, something that he could accomplish by the destruction of the Dimension.

But the converter was old, not placed there by any of the current Itex. K'Tayr was opportunistic, but it was unlike him not to update the technology. The converter was a decoy.

Donnye chewed absently at his bottom lip. Something tickled the corners of his senses. He sat up, scanning the room.

A soft blue glow emanated from the wall, slowly forming into the translucent form of Ce'it. Donnye looked him over, but Ce'it spoke first. _I'm not dead. You need to come to the mansion._

The Shapechanger stood, "And tell them what? Odds are, I know as much as they do."

Ce'it looked to the side. _I told them I would get you, to help explain what's going on._

"A converter sucked the energy out of everything, I have since shut it down," he sighed. "Sorry I growled."

_I have two reasons you should come, besides promising I would. One,_ he counted the points off on spectral fingers,_ perhaps minds of differing views can help find some angle on this you haven't looked at. And two, I would really like to go back to my body now._

Donnye smiled, walking to the door. "Far beit from me to refuse the request of a Jedi."

To be continued….DUH DUH DUH

Hmmm…what new threat will Traddess and the X-Men have to save the Earth from? K'Tayr (whose name means "the act of death" K'(verb) and Tayr (death))? The Rylax, an Imbalance? Or something else…something far less obvious?

And will Char remember to buy Kitty flowers and when will Menga beg him to go home?

Oh…and if you courious, K'Payr's name means "Wind"…and not the noun wind. The very breeze that blows through the forests and tears trees from the ground, the very gust that ruffles the fur of a kitten. The Action, the verb Payr….Wind.

Shorra'Rei, another word I used, literally means "Distance not pertaining to me" Shorra'Rill, means "distance pertaining to me". Or, There and Here. Itexian is a very contextual language, and fun to play with!


	3. Not a Ghost of a Chance

"1-800-CALL-ATT" ****

"1-800-CALL-ATT"

Here is yet another installment of my most unusual of X-Overs. Many thanx to Nightfan and Discord who have reviewed me more than once! If you want a character named after you, just tell me in the review, and you'll get one. (or two in Charmega's case). Just tell me what species (Human, Itexian, Other) and Gender you wish. Or anything else you want the characters to have. And is it a Mary Sue if the characters are based off of someone else in the dreaded Real World?

****

Chapter 3: Not a Ghost of a Chance

Menga paced around Ce'it's still form, her keen gaze passing over the Jedi. He lay very still, barely breathing, and as pale as the sheets he was on. Sunlight peered through the window, small slivers of golden light. Last night, he had come in, badly injured. His leg was broken, and Professor Xavier was certain he had internal injuries. But this Force of his was amazing.

The deep wound on his side was nowhere near as bad as just a few hours ago. The break in his leg was closing. He was healing, in his own Force-induced fashion.

"How is he?" the Professor's soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"He's healing."

He rolled next to her, "Get some rest, I will watch him."

She nodded, walking from the room. Her thoughts turned from Ce'it to her brother. Char had never left Kitty's side since they arrived at the airport, and it galled her. She had no idea why he had fallen so hard and so fast for the shallow valley girl. Hormones, perhaps? Or maybe it was that magic _thing,_ that elusive annoying _thing_ that he saw when he looked at her. Simply disgusting.

And then there was the weather. As nice as it was in upstate New York, it was not Washington State. The air was heavy and hard to breathe, the heat burning at her. And where did these people get off calling _those_ hills mountains? She missed the sweet, cool air, the light wash of the rain, the cool breeze of true, snow-capped, mountains. Menga longed for the caress of the Pacific Ocean, the sunsets over the Olympic Mountains, the coffee cart on every corner in Seattle.

Not that upstate New York wasn't pretty. But it was missing a certain wild spirit that only the Western states seemed to have.

She was homesick.

And then there was this whole Traddess thing. Kurt's teacher not a mutant but an alien. And not just one alien, an entire compound of the things. Granted, she and Skimmer had a nice conversation, but it would be impossible to invite a ship the size of a small three-story apartment building to her house for a sleepover.

Traddess sent shivers of weird up her back, and she couldn't help but cringe whenever it was mentioned. But, true to form, her brother had taken it all in stride. He accepted Traddess and its denizens without complaint or second glance. It was all just too weird for her.

Jean ran past her, rushing towards Ce'it's room. "He's back!" she yelled.

Menga stopped short, her eyes on Jean's retreating back. Then her brows lowered in a scowl. Why would she want to see Ce'it? He wasn't even Human. With a snort of derision, she continued her original path to her room.

This was odd. Ce'it could never get used to seeing himself laying deathlike on the bed. He passed his spectral hand over his body, watching the sun shine through. _It's not time yet, _he sighed sadly.

"How do you know?" Xavier steepled his hands in front of him, his eyes gazing over them at Ce'it.

The ghostlike Ce'it shrugged. _I just do. There is something else I need to do, but I don't know what it is._

"Is Donnye on his way?"

Jean darted into the room, breathless. "I came as soon as I could."

Ce'it turned slightly to look at her. _Donnye is on his way._ He stopped speaking suddenly, his gaze distant.

"What is it?" Xavier waved his hand at Rouge and Kitty, who just arrived and were standing in the doorway.

_Someone is coming. Not Donnye, younger. A mutant, one I don't know. _

"Not an X-Man, then," Xavier reasoned. "Kitty, care to see who it is? Our powers seem to be returning to normal."

She paused, concerned. "Does that mean we can get Kurt home?"

He shook his head, "Not if he teleported far out of his range. As soon as Cerebro is back online, I will try to find him."

She swallowed her fear, walking through the walls to the main room. She returned almost as quick, fear on her face. "It's Magneto!"

Ce'it looked up, Rouge stepping aside as the mutant floated down the hall. She balled her fist, but Xavier waved her aside. "This is not the place for a fight."

"Wise to the end, old friend." Magneto floated into the room, alighting just inside of the entrance. "I see there have been some unforeseen consequences to my little experiment."

_You_, Ce'it floated up to Magneto, his spectral eyes boring into the mutant's. After a second, Magneto had to look away from the timeless Jedi gaze. _You did this, how? Don't you have any idea of what was at stake?_

"He knew full well," Donnye growled from the doorway.

"Knew what?" Rouge said, her hands still tightly in fists.

"He knew about _Qua'Xia_. Someone, an Itexian, told him everything. And you," the word was back with anger and wisdom, "you were _aware_ of the consequences and stopped the converter before it tore this world apart."

"A traitor?"

"A prisoner." Magneto backed away at the dangerous growl in his voice. "When Starrush crashed just south of the North Pole, you captured her and her partner, T'Kesh. We found what was left of Starrush just a few minutes ago, and traces of Itexian blood. Where is T'Kesh?"

Magneto lifted his chin a fraction. "Regrettably, she did not survive the debriefing process."

"You tortured her!" Rouge rushed at Magneto, but Donnye stopped her with a hand on her arm. She glanced down, shocked that the skin-to-skin contact didn't seem to bother him. Perhaps her powers hadn't returned to normal after all, maybe she would be able to touch another being. Or most likely, Donnye was just too weird from her powers to understand.

Magneto appeared hurt. "Torture? I would never sink down so low. She was babbling in the last minutes of her life, and her translator was still active. She talked about everything." His look of hurt changed to one of triumph.

Donnye let go of Rouge and walked up to Magneto. "You're telling the truth, I only smell her death, not her pain."

Ce'it hovered next to his body as if protecting it. "Why? Why interfere with _Qua'Xia?_"

"I never intended to. T'Kesh's last words were about the Balance, on how _Qua'Xia_ is what is the power behind evolution, the Force, and our own abilities. Without it, we are merely human." He placed a hand on his chest, as if wounded by Ce'it's question.

But the Jedi paid the gesture no heed. _You wanted to disrupt the humans' lives and make mutants seem like the heroes. You wanted them to bow down to you._

"How very perceptive." Magneto appeared smug. "Then I would liberate what dormant X-genes there were, and save the human race."

"It doesn't need saving!" Kitty mirrored Rouge's balled fists.

"Of course it does, my child. Now more than ever with this alien threat among us." His gaze passed over Ce'it's still and spectral forms.

Donnye released Rouge's arm, sighing sadly. "You have taken the wrong matters into your own hands, Magneto." He turned his timeless gaze on the mutant. "You should have come to us, but you chose to put the integrity of your home dimension in peril."

"I stopped it in time."

"Are you sure?" The much smaller Donnye stared Magneto down, the larger mutant backing away from him. "There is much more at stake here than just your one race. _Keron_."

A soft yellow glow filled the room.

Xavier, Magneto, and Donnye appeared in the cargo hold of a small ship. Donnye turned, walking towards a wall with three levels of catwalks and ladders. The metal was a dull black, streak through with dark gray. "I know this technology," he said.

Magneto looked down at him. "What is it?"

"This is an Itexian ship. Odds are, it might even be Skimmer."

"He's not," Donnye called down from the middle level of catwalks. "Come up here and meet Cometrun."

Xavier felt his chair lift gracefully into the air, Magneto a few meters behind. They met Donnye at a large opening in the wall, a corridor just beyond its gaping maw. The chair shuddered a bit as it was lowered to the floor, Magneto landing ungracefully next to him. "You are draining my powers from me," he growled.

"The metal this ship is made out of passively absorbs energy. You tell me where your powers are going."

Magneto clamped his mouth shut, regaining his composure. Xavier smiled softly. "I have seen these ships before. The Machine Intelligence, they are called. Living, thinking, feeling machines. I wouldn't cross one if I ware you." He rolled after Donnye, deeper into the ship.

Glossy black panels lines the walls, angular Itexian text scrolling across their surfaces. The two mutants met up with Donnye in a large room just at the end of the corridor, the alien looking out a window.

Magneto and Xavier gasped at what they saw.

Earth rotated serenely below them, her surface laced with blue and white.

"How did we get up here?" Magneto controlled his surprise.

"Teleportation is one of the mutant powers that is easy for a high enough technology to emulate."

"You…teleported us up here?"

Donnye nodded, his hand passing over a panel. A display detached itself from this air, hovering over the panel. Itexian text scrolled across the screen.

A three-dimensional display of the galaxy hovered above the panel, just in front of Donnye's eyes. One arm had a following of Itexian text, pointing to a small blue dot far down its length. "I can't take you Beyond, _Qua'Xia_ doesn't exist there and to remove you from it would be death. I can show you what happened when you created that Imbalance." He turned, he ancient purple eyes boring into Magneto. "Because you are going to fix it."

"Me?" Magneto appeared shocked. "And what if I refuse?"

Donnye glanced down at Xavier, who lowered and shook his head. "I don't like it," he muttered.

"What, Charles? What is it that you don't like?"

The small alien turned his unnerving eyes back to Magneto. "You will know what life Beyond is like. Since if you do not fix the Tear in the Barrier, you will be thrown through it."

Kurt slept in the forest that night, cowering in the bushes. The rain had started up just before nightfall, and had yet to stop. The sun struggled to break through the clouds, but it was a losing battle. Cars rushed by on the highway, mere glimpses of color and tires on wet pavement. He sneezed.

His fur was wet, his hair plastered to the sides of his face. With an irritated gesture, he tucked an errant strand of hair behind one pointed blue ear. Somehow, he needed to find a way home, and he doubted teleporting was the answer. 

A logging truck barreled down the highway, its brakes squealing with a rush of compressed air as it ground to a halt. It sighed, squeaking and shuddering as it lost momentum. Kurt smiled to himself, teleporting onto the load. He had to hide, but where. If he hid between the logs, they could settle and kill him. But if he hid under it, a quick teleport and he was under the truck. The rear half of the truck was nothing more than brake lines, some wires, and a huge axle. And two large flanges of metal that stuck down to support the axle. He secreted himself in this soggy, smelly, oily void. Very little held him in place, his tail wrapped around a crossmember, his thin, agile frame squeezed between an air line and the floor of the small trailer above him. Kurt looked towards the cab, regretting his action. The trailer stopped, a single bar of metal spanning the distance to the front to the trailer. Logs filled the gap, pieces of small branches and bark falling down randomly.

He gritted his teeth, wedging in even tighter. This was going to be a long trip.

Ce'it meditated, hovering above his body. The room was growing darker, but lights came on as the power grid returned to normal. _What is it, Rouge?_

The girl in question sidled into the room, hands clasped behind her back. "Ah though ya might be able to answer a question of mine."

Ce'it opened his eyes. _Go on, I'm listening._

"When Magneto was here, Donnye grabbed me. He held onto my arm," her voice rose in pitch as she pointed out where he had touched her. "And he's fine! How can he do that!"

_Calm down, I think I know why._ He floated down to her, so his head was level with hers. When he regained his body, he would miss being able to float so effortlessly, but the tradeoff was worth it. _Donnye's people stopped evolving a very long time ago. They stopped being able to touch Qua'Xia. He has no power for you to take._

"So," she reasoned carefully, "When ah touch someone, I'm not taking their powers, but their _Qua'Xia?"_

_Correct. The same is true of the Itex, except they lost theirs in a race for survival. While your race is using it to change, to evolve, to adapt to your changing world, the Itex lost theirs when most of their race was destroyed three thousand years ago._

"You lost me, Ce'it."

He smiled. _There is more than one way to do anything, Rouge. One of which is to evolve. The Itex used the technology that literally rained down on their planet to save their species. Their evolution, their very survival, was forced. Your evolution, your mutation, is a natural reaction to the influences of your environment._

She chewed on one lip, her arms folded over her chest. "Ah think ah understand." Her gaze grew distant.

Ce'it spoke, softly and slowly. _I know what it must be like, not being able to touch._ He looked at his own spectral hand. _I think Traddess may want someone to work with them part-time. Someone to help them understand this Human world._ Her eyes lit up._ They know that you need to be here, with the X-Men, but they need a liason, someone to guide them._

"Really?" She walked closer, careful not to touch his glowing form. "Is that true?"

Ce'it nodded. _If you like, I will talk with Donnye about it, and then we can talk to Xavier._

"People I can touch…" her voice trailed off. "But what about Kurt? He's trapped…somewhere."

_The West Coast. Somewhere rather north, I think. It's vague, but I think he's been there before._

"The West Coast!" Her shock was an emotional spike in the Force, she failed to notice his wince. "We hafta get him!"

_We will. Didn't he take a vacation up that way not too long ago?_ (AN: Chasing the Sun to Paradise).

"Yeah, he visited with Char and Menga."

_I don't suppose you can get them in here._

"I'm on it." With a flash of white bangs, she left.

The Tear in itself was a marvel. It was a living, writhing thing, a gaping wound in the Barrier. The edges blurred with matter canceling out, as the Chaos from Beyond collided with the Order of his world. It seethed, threatening to turn the Dimension inside-out.

"And how do you recommend for me to fix this?" Magneto scowled.

"The same way you made it," Donnye handed his a small black box. "Use this to control the converter, just place it on your temple."

He glared at Donnye, the alien continued to speak, "Or, I could just toss you Beyond and seal the Tear for you."

Magneto looked through the Tear. The sky, if one could call it that, was mottled, a swirling mass of reds, yellows, and blues. Asteroids, flattened on one side, floated or spun on their axis. Water fell randomly from asteroid to asteroid. Donnye followed his gaze. "Physics as you know it will cease to exist. Your powers will be gone, stripped from you as you pass the Barrier. Your survival will depend on your remaining usefulness."

The mutant placed the box on his temple. Text, at first Itexian than English raced across his vision. Diagrams of the Tear's power readouts flashed by. Then the converter came online. This was a newer model, the commands more intricate and simpler at the same time. He shuddered, the power he held at his temple was intoxicating. He held in his hand the power to destroy countless worlds.

"And yourself along with it." Xavier's voice intruded on his thoughts.

Magneto sobered. His oldest friend and arch rival was mere feet away, and an alien more bazaar than any mutant watched his every move. Very little was going to get past that pair, and if it did, he doubted that he would be able to stop Donnye from tossing his Beyond. From what he saw of the creature's technology, he could easily stop Magneto before he had a chance to start.

The converter powered up, the displays flashing from red to green. The commands were similar, but different. After studying them for a few moments, he activated the machine.

Space twisted in on itself, screaming in protest. The ship shuddered, throwing Magneto to the floor. Power exploded from the Tear, spears of yellow, red, and other myriad shades of the rainbow. The ship howled, absorbing the power and focusing it back on the Tear. The Tear wailed, a primal scream of a Dimension.

The Barrier slowly fused closed, wisps of light and power escaping into space. Donnye removed the black box, standing over the shaken Magneto. "So much power…"

Donnye nodded. "Expect some odd storms for the next few months." He stood, tossing the box into the air. It vanished in a flash of yellow. "Do you understand? Do you really understand?" He speared Magneto with his eyes. "That Tear would have been all that was left of this Dimension because of your greed." The alien turned his back on Magneto, requesting that the ship return them to Earth.

Kurt hid in the back alleys of Seattle. The logging truck had gone as far as the Port of Seattle, unloading its trees on a massive cargo ship. The rain continued to pour down, massive raindrops shattering as they hit the pavement. "Odd rain we're having," quipped a passerby.

Odd rain? Didn't it always rain here?

"Yeah," he couldn't see the people as they talked, huddled as he was behind a Dumpster. "Rain this heavy just don't fall like that around here. Too many mountains."

Lightning lit up the evening, its light casting everything in a harsh black and white glow. He edged out from behind the Dumpster, trying to get a closer look at the people. "Oh man, that's too weird! Full moon, right?"

"Nope, not till next week."

Kurt couldn't loose his cover, and didn't want to risk being seen by the people. He sighed, cowering deeper behind the Dumpster. _This just isn't my lucky day_.

"Okay, break's over." The rumbling of a diesel motor filled the alley. The Dumpster shuddered as twin spikes speared the holders on each side. He teleported away before the Dumpster could be lifted fully and himself exposed.

What a miserable few days. And his stomach decided it was very hungry.

He teleported into a small convience store, taking a quick look around. Nobody was around. He hated doing this, but he had to eat, and with a quick grab, he snagged whatever he could reach. He teleported outside, reading the place's name before vanishing into the raining night.

Ce'it hovered in the main room, watching the pensive X-Men. It was sweltering outside, but it was also snowing a harsh blue snow. Kitty paced from one end of the room to the other, Char at her side. Rouge and Evan tried to distract themselves with a video game, while Jean watched them impassively. Logan and Scott were scouting the city, taking in what damage the weather has caused. Ororo was holding vigil over Ce'it's still form, professing a profound headache and a need for quieter company. Which included asking his spectral self to leave the room.

Menga puttered half-heartedly in the kitchen. Even though Char and Menga were visiting, and not really a part of the X-Men, they keenly felt the lack of two of its members.

"How are you holding up?" Char had ceased his pacing with Kitty and stood next to Ce'it.

_My body is healing well. I would like to be there with it now. Preferably in it._

He let out a small bark of laughter. "Do you know when you can go back?"

_Soon. There is something I need to do._

Kitty heard their exchange and stopped pacing. "Why don't you like, go find Kurt. You are like, weirding me out."

_Good idea,_ he smiled, then he waved his hand at the group. _See you all in a few._

He passed easily through the walls of the mansion, floating gracefully into the sky. The _Qua'Xai _was uneven, little pockets of power or lack thereof. He tried to avoid each, weaving his way at great speed to Washington State where Kurt had vacationed just a few weeks ago. Green and yellow lightning flashed with the absence of thunder, winds blew vertically and diagonally. Hurricanes screamed over the midwest, with tornadoes carving away at southern California. He scowled, he had gone too far south.

It was not easy following the coast north. The storms themselves were nothing, but the disrupted _Qua'Xia _behind them held his full attention. The last thing he had any interest in studying was the effect of it on his spectral body. And the nausea he felt when he drew too close hardened his resolve.

What was the name of that city Kurt's plane had landed in? Sea-Tac? He hovered low to the ground, fighting nausea as he floated under a large disturbance. Planes waited for take-off, each impatiently lined up after the other. Heavy pink rain pelted their wings, confining them to the ground.

A quick scan and Kurt wasn't here. He was close, slightly North and West.

The Port of Seattle opened up before him. He struggled to contain the nausea. It was developing into pain, a sharp tearing at where his spectral guts should be. The Force urged hjim onward into a dark alley and a sleeping Kurt.

Kurt woke with a start. "Vas vas zat!" The alley was deserted, but there was an odd glow, dissipating as his eyes adjusted to the gloom. He held onto the sides of his head, a strange sort of pressure building up.

The world as he knew it ceased to exsist.

Uh-Oh…a cliffhanger! Sorry guys! Next chapter to come soon!! "Of Two Minds" It's called. J Don't worry, nobody dies. J 


	4. Of Two Minds

Chapter Four: Of Two Minds

Disclaimer, I always seem to forget these things, well, yadda yadda. You know whom belongs to whome by now. J Or at least, I hope so!

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Chapter Four: Of Two Minds

This was strange. _This was strange._

Kurt started at the duality of his thoughts. He looked up, lowering his hands from where they had been grasping the sides of his head. What was going on? _What was going on?_

He looked around the alley. Somehow it seemed sharper, clearer. He _knew_ there was a rat behind that Dumpster. He _knew_ that it was going to stop raining here soon. Kurt placed a hand over his stomach, trying to soothe the sudden feeling of nausea. He hadn't eaten for quite a while, he should be starving. But now, the mere thought of food, and food he knew he couldn't digest, let alone name, turned his stomach.

The last thing he remembered seeing was a flash of blue light and pain. A sudden sensation of _needing_ to be back in Upstate New York crossed his mind. He wondered where the thought came from, he certainly hadn't been thinking of home. But now, it seemed like a nice thought. Kitty's smiling face, Evan's constant chatter, Scott's perfection, Jean's long hair, Rogue's acerbic attitude, Logan's distance, Ororo's calm, and Xavier's guidance. Even the Brotherhood crossed his mind, with a scowl, but he missed them in an odd way. Any familiar thing would be welcomed in the cold, pounding Seattle rain.

His thoughts turned to Traddess. His ethics teachers, Sean O'Shanna had turned out to be an alien Jedi named Ce'it Ki Oshanna, much to Kurt's delight. Ce'it had proven his mettle time and time again. Donnye and Skimmer still confused him, the young mutant had not had the chance to spend much time with them. But he had to admit, he was fascinated by all things Traddess.

For some odd reason, his thoughts hung on Ce'it. Had the Jedi been Human, he might have been Kurt's father. But he wasn't, Kurt pouted. The elf hunkered down, trying to coax more shelter from the Dumpster.

The ride to the Port of Seattle was rough at best. The logging truck made a point of seeking out every pothole from here to the Pacific Coast, and his aching tail and back still felt them all.

He chewed on one lip, a white fang flashing in the dim light. Didn't Char and Menga come from here? Perhaps there was a group of mutants in this area that could help him get back home, but how? How could he find them? _Find them._

Kurt paused at the echo in his mind. _Find them._ He had to find them, but how? It wasn't like he could just walk up to the information booth and ask where the nearest group of mutants were. He crouched in the deepening shadows.

The light faded from the sky, the clouds muting what little light the streetlights afforded. At least he had some cover. Kurt poked his head from the alley, slapping himself slightly on the forehead when he saw what perched just beyond the corner. A payphone, and hopefully functional.

A quick glance determined the road to be clear, and he darted to the phone, typing in the first number that came to mind.

Donnye scowled at the readout hovering above his desk. The image of the Earth was dotted with red and blue blotches, irregularities in the Balance. They would dissipate soon, and hopefully before any permanent damage was done to the ecosystem.

The phone rang, and he picked it up, answering absently since only the members of Traddess had access to such a number, "_Meyek."_

"Oh, sorry, vrong number." The voice was familiar, he knew this person. His mind flashed through the thousands of beings he knew, starting with the most recent.

"Kurt?" he switched to speaking English. "How did you get this number, and why are you calling me?"

"Zith isn't Professor Xavier, is it?"

"No, It's Donnye."

"Donnye?!" Hope and happiness filled the distant voice. "Man, I'm stuck in Seattle, and I want to go home!"

"Calm down, stay hidden, we've traced the phone call. You'll be home soon."

"How soon?"

Donnye tapped a flat black panel, and a display covered in Itexian text filled the air before him. He traced a few words, highlighting them. "_Keron_," he said softly. Yellow light flashed in the room, and a very confused Kurt stood in front of him, soaked and smelling of grease, trees, and garbage. Donnye wrinkled his nose, "Ug, fast enough?"

Kurt looked around, confused. He looked around again, his expression lost. Then he brightened. "This is it! Traddess! I really am back in New York!" His yellow eyes turned to Donnye. "How did I get here?"

The being in question motioned absently to the wall beside him. "Just a little bit of technology that hopefully your people will develop sometime in your lifetime."

Kurt's mouth formed into a silent "O". "Can we go home now," he whispered quietly.

"We?"

"Vat do you mean, ve?"

"You said, 'Can we go home now?' Who is 'we'?"

"I don't know vat you are talking about."

Donnye stood, pacing around Kurt, sniffing at him from time to time. "I have been around too many odd things to not let 'we' pass by. Something is not right here."

Kurt was suddenly very worried, Donnye took a small step back as his scent changed. "I remember a strange blue light, zen mien head hurt."

The Shapechanger looked at Kurt, whispering something fast and fluid.

"No, but danke."

Donnye's brows burrowed into the bridge of his nose. "I just spoke in Mersakii."

"Mer-Mersakii? Like Ce'it?"

He nodded gravely. "He had an accident, and due to the Imbalance, he become separated from his body. Which is healing nicely." 

Kurt couldn't explain the sudden rush of relief that flooded him.

The small Shapechanger walked around the desk, pulling a multipurpose scanner from a drawer. He tapped at it a few times, passing it over Kurt's head. Two lines, not to dissimilar from the readout from a seismograph, flitted across its surface. Two lines, not one. Two lines, one red and one blue. Two lines, one strong and dominate, the other quiet, barely registering anything.

"Vat does zis mean?" Kurt was looking over his hand at the scanner.

Donnye tapped Kurt's forehead. "It means that you better take care of yourself, you're eating for two."

"Vat?!"

"In his noncorporeal form, Ce'it must have gone looking for you." Donnye pointed to where Seattle was on the hovering Earth. "There is a large disturbance above that area, it would have killed him if he got too close. I presume he took refuge in your head."

"Vat?" Kurt was confused.

Donnye tapped his forehead again, speaking something soft and quick.

"Ja, I understand you."

"Kurt, I want you to relax, think of nothing. Just say whatever it is that comes in your mind first."

The mutant nodded, nervous. "Ja, but I don't zink it'll do anyzing."

"Just try it."

__

What happened to me? "What happened to me?" Kurt started, surprised at the unbidden, half-form thought. And at his lack of an accent. He breathed deeply, a quacking, shuddering breath. "Thalano nalla gorani hasakerrnera?"

"You're stuck in Kurt's head, Ce'it. Just relax and we will try to get you out." Donnye focused his eyes firmly on Kurts'. "And that goes for you, too. I'd rather not sedate you."

"Vat did I say?"

"You said nothing. Ce'it said that he wanted out, it's crowded." Donnye placed a hand on Kurt's arm, turning him towards the door. "Time to get you back to the mansion, odds are everyoine is worried about you."

"_I_ am worried about me."

"Kurt!" Kitty jumped up from the couch, running towards the blue elf. She phased through the coffee table, grabbing him in a fierce hug. "Keety," he gasped, trying to push her away, "Glad to see you, too."

"Where were you, man?" Evan put down the video game controller.

"Seattle, but Donnye brought me back. Vere's the Professor?"

"He's with Cerebro." Kitty released her death-hold, standing at arm's length. 

"Danke, I vould like to see him."

"Is something wrong?" Evan stood, concern on his dark features.

"Ja, but maybe he can fix it."

"Like, what happened?" Kitty's blue eyes pinned Kurt to the spot. He had to look away. "It's a long story. Don't vorry, you'll find out soon enough."

"Good, I don't think I can wait long!" Even quipped.

Kurt smiled sheepishly, walking across the room, Donnye in tow.

Professor Xavier was where he was promised to be, eyes closed and his thoughts far away in the maze of sensors that was Cerebro.

He sighed, removing the helmet. "I am glad to see that you are well, Kurt. We were all very worried." He turned his chair to face Donnye and Kurt fully. "What happened? You are nervous, and there is something else…different about you, I'm not sure as to what."

Donnye spoke first, "He must have teleported when the Imbalance struck, and it affected his powers. He ended up in Seattle, but he was able to contact me in order for me to bring him here. While he was in Seattle, Ce'it went to look for him, and was trapped in a disturbance in the _Qua'Xia_ just above the city. In his spectral form, it must have been painful." Donnye motioned to Kurt with a hand. "He sought refuge in Kurt. Perhaps there is something the most powerful telepath on this planet can do."

"We need to return Ce'it to his body."

"Not yet." Kurt was startled by his response. Donnye and Xavier stared at him.

"Are you sure?" the Professor's voice was soft.

"I am, but I don't know how."

"When you are ready, I will help you. But first, a bath."

It had taken Logan guarding the door to the bathroom for Kurt to bathe in peace. He curled his blue toes, sinking deeper into the water, soaking the worse of the grease and road dirt off. Kurt was home, Ce'it was in his head, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was not quite right. Frowning, he concentrated in that something, amazed at his sudden focus. The world snapped into startling clarity. Logan's determination to guard the door. Char and Kitty talking softly. Rogue and Evan arguing. Scott and Jean going over some math homework, and Scott's frustration at the assignment.

The soft gentle power of the wind blowing through the trees, the peaceful abundance of life. Dark blots of unhappy thoughts, painful red swirls of _Qua'Xia._ He could sense it, see it, almost but not quite, touch it. Some of it, oddly intelligent, reached out to him, then curled back, confused. Something was wrong.

Kurt reached out, but it stayed just out of range. The Force backed away from him, remote, alien.

And so familiar.

Like an old friend from many years ago. Like a half-forgotten snippet of a childhood dream. Like the mind of a Jedi trapped in his own.

Ce'it needed the Force. Kurt reached deeper into himself, seeking the Jedi.

An aura of pale blue filled his mind, weak and confused. It reacted out of instinct and need, not under the conscious control of anybody. It was afraid. And it was Ce'it. The Jedi had been badly weakened by his ordeal, and he continued to fade.

A thin tendril of blue reached for the Force, drinking it in a sip at a time. Kurt gasped at the sudden rush of warmth, his senses spiking.

Logan was thinking of the newspaper article he had read that morning. Kitty and Char where thinking that they were going to miss each other, but hadn't told each other yet. Scott was thinking of Rogue, and how pretty she would be if she just relaxed, and he knew how she felt, to be deprived of something everyone took for granted. He envied her sight.

The quiet rush of Donnye and Xavier's minds.

The life and death struggle of existing.

The Balance.

Kurt screamed, placing his hands on his head, but it was not time to stop, he had to finish what he started. With a push, the door was held shut milliseconds before Logan rushed through. Kitty was ordered to stay out, before she had even heard the scream.

When he had teleported, _Qua'Xia_ had disrupted the delicate balance within himself. Now, it was nothing, but he knew, he _saw_ what would happen if it didn't get fixed.

Ce'it's unconscious mind sought out the imbalance, snapping it into order. It was small, a mere twist of the Force, and so deep within himself that he knew, he sensed, that it could not be fixed except from within. And by the time it was big enough to be sensed outside, the damage would be done.

Only know did Kurt sense the imbalance, and only now did he sense it's disappearance.

Logan raised his hand, claws sliding out of his knuckles. A quick, rushed thought filled his mind, stunning him immobile for a second. _To Ce'it_.

He nodded, sheathing his spurs and trotting down the hall. Kitty phased through him so he wouldn't run her over.

"Hey!" she shouted, trotting to catch up to him.

Logan didn't respond, only stopping when he reached Ce'it's too-still form. Donnye, Jean, and the Professor were already there. Kurt bamfed in a second later, wearing a loose pair of sweats. His blue fur was matted to his body, flecks of soap spotting him. "Get me out of here!" He grabbed hold of the sides of his head.

"Jean, hold Kurt's mind! I will assist Ce'it!"

Jean rushed forward, placing her hands on the side of Kurt's head, closing her eyes. Kutr could feel her mind race through his like a lance, but he held onto her light, her thoughts. He cringed, "Got him."

Another mind, far more powerful and older, speared into Kurt's mind, darting around his thoughts. He reached the soft blue glow that was Ce'it and wrapped him in his embrace.

Kurt gasped, his hands digging into Jean's forearms. He didn't remember grabbing her. "Focus on me," she ordered. "Pay no attention to anything else."

"Arghhh…how?"

"Well, I hear the megaplex is playing 'Revenge of the Swampthing'. How about we go?"

Kurt started, go to a movie, with Jean? "Ah, sure."

"And after the movie, was can go out for ice cream. "

"Oh, ice cream, I love ice cream!"

"Perhaps rent a few video games _that we can play deep into the night."_ Her mind whispered to him, trapping his thoughts. "_Or, would you like to watch and old movie, just you and me?"_ An image of himself wrapped in Jean's arms filled his mind. She forced him to focus on her, distracting him. _"I hear the original special edition of the 'Walking Dead' had just been released on DVD."_ A fleeting image of a startled Jean seeking refuge in his arms.

"_That would be nice."_ His mind whispered back.

She grabbed onto a memory, enhancing it and playing it back as a future possibility. "_How about next time we get the chance, going to that beach you keep talking about and watch that sunset?"_ In his mind, he saw them walk down the beach, the silver sand parting at their feet. The ocean was stained with gold.

Jean played the memory, a pleasant distraction.

Xavier gasped. Ce'it had burrowed deep into Kurt's psyche, trying to protect himself. Jean was doing her part well, Kurt's mind had balled up around hers, reliving pleasant thoughts.

The Jedi was another matter. His mind was a jumble of instincts and confusion, Xavier feared that if he was to rescue Ce'it, he first must subdue him. Xavier reached for him, gently, exuding calm and friendship. He felt an older mind, an ancient and powerful ally tickle his senses. Donnye added his own unique flavor, and Ce'it responded, a quieting of the turmoil. A flash of regret and Donnye's mind was gone, but he had started the process to calm the Jedi.

Xavier likened Ce'it to a scared puppy, alone and confused. He reached out, soothing Ce'it's thoughts. Alien images of planets and stars flickered for a moment. Bits of memory. A flash of spots on a graceful neck. Calm gray eyes. Delicately pointed ears. Ships traveling faster than light. The cat-like K'Payr. Skimmer's sleek hull. A weapon of glowing blue light.

The half-gotten smile of his mother, the anguished cry of an orphan.

Xavier did not notice the tear roll down his cheek; he had a Jedi to save.

He wrapped the fading mind in a cocoon of warmth, of being there when needed, of comfort. Ce'it responded slowly, the roiling in his mind calming. Xavier was surprised at how weak the mind seemed, and it was growing weaker.

Xavier cupped it in mental hands, pulling it delicately from Kurt. He keep soothing it, doing his best not to disturb the mind. The last think he wanted to do was for Ce'it to bolt deeper into Kurt, forever removing the possibility of rescue.

Xavier opened his eyes, looking at a globe of blue light no larger than the average bowling ball. The light swirled slowly, exploring its new environment. Kurt sagged against Jean, smiling, "He's gone." His eyes slid shut, and she lowered him to the floor. Char, Scott, and Evan crowded the doorway. Kitty had her head poking through the wall, her roommate beside her. Logan just leaned impassively on the wall across the hall, trying to look unconcerned and failing. Xavier knew him better.

He turned to Ce'it's still body, placing the globe of blue light on the chest. _"Go home."_

The light sat on the chest, considering the request. It took only a second for it to make up its mind, disappearing into the Jedi's body.

A fleeting feeling of joy surprised the Professor. He smiled as Ce'it took in one shuddering, deep breath. The Jedi remained unconscious.

Jean levitated Kurt, floating him to a chair next to Ce'it's bed. She covered him with a blanket. With a wordless nod, she backed out of the room, letting Kurt and Ce'it sleep off their ordeal.

Ce'it woke up. Not that he hadn't woke up before in his life, but his time it was different. He could blink. He could feel the warmth of the blankets, the air rushing into his chest, the beating of his own heart.

And the bandages wrapped around his aching thigh and belly. He winced. Those were going to leave scars.

Kurt was asleep in the chair next to him, his chin resting on his chest.

The door opened, a spear of light playing over the blankets. Xavier rolled in, several pairs of eyes vying to peer in for an update.

Ce'it smiled.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired, sore, whole." His stomach growled audibly. "Hungry."

Xavier smiled. "Then, let us get you something to eat."

Just one more chapter to go on this one, folks! If you want to see more Star wars and X-Menevo X-over, just tell me! BTW, "Not Easy Being Fuzzy" has a secret chapter, rather weird so I haven't posted it yet. Okay…it's VERY weird, and only because it explains how my AU Star Wars universe (which has a Earth from the Shadowrun Role-Playing Game) and the X-Men Evo universe (which has its own Earth) are tied together. Kinda cool, kinda weird. Kinda fun to play with.


	5. Going Home

Epilogue:  ****

Epilogue: 

Author's note: Due to college restarting, updates will not be posted for a long time. I will get to them as I can, no guarantees with a full-time job and homework. There _is_ another installment of this series, and part of it has been written. It is a Gargoyles/Star Wars/X-Men Evo/My universe mix called "Secretive Secrets". Keep your eyes open and keep the reviews coming!

On a more personal note, please donate blood or money to the Red Cross. I am not the most patriotic person, but this is my home, my territory, and it has been violated in the most cowardly of manners. Bin Laden did one thing for this world--he has united is against him. A moment of silence, and prayers to whatever deity or spirit you hold dear, Bin Laden will pay for what he has done. If he is innocent (as if), he still needs to be help responsible for past acts of cowardice. If he is guilty, he better make peace with his deity and do it fast, he signed his own death warrant on Sept 11, 2001.

And the whole world is eager for an excuse to fulfil it.

Going home

Char held tightly on Kitty before holding her out at arm's length. "I will miss you, kitten cat."

She sniffed, rubbing at her nose. "You will like, keep in touch?"

He smiled, "Of course! Ever seen those commercials on TV, 1-800-CALL-ATT? Well, they will get to know me well, and I do have your email address."

Ce'it smiled, sitting in a wheelchair next to the professor, one leg propped up on the foot rest. He was paler than normal, but looked far better than he had a few short days ago. "Your plane will be departing soon." (AN--this part was in planning long before…_that_ day. You have no idea how weird this is to write…so it will be short)

Kitty nodded, pulling away from Char. Menga snorted softly, "I had fun, but," she sighed. "I would like to go home to where the air is breathable."

Xavier laughed softly. Jean had been pushing his chair, Scott in command of the Jedi's. Kurt strolled next to Evan, Rouge taking up the rear. "Have a safe flight and call us when you land." He pulled out a calling card and handed it to Menga.

She accepted it with a nod, walking towards the boarding attendant. She turned, impatient, "We need to leave soon, Char, our plane is about to leave."

Char smiled at Kitty, grasping her shoulder in a final squeeze before letting go. He stooped to pick up his baggage. "I will miss you, kitten cat. Email me."

She nodded wordlessly, watching him walk onto the gangway. Kitty was the first person at the large window, watching the plane taxi gracefully onto the runway. Kurt placed his hand on her shoulder, offering his companionship. 

The plane lifted off, heading for the West Coast, chasing the sunset all the way home.

The End…for now.

  
Sorry it was so short…


End file.
